II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3974 

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to require the Commissioner 

of Social Security to use the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers for purposes of determining cost-of-living adjustments under titles 

II, VIII, and XVI of the Social Security Act, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 19, 2024 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. WELCH, Mr. FETTERMAN, 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND, and Mr. SANDERS) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to require 

the Commissioner of Social Security to use the Consumer 

Price Index for Elderly Consumers for purposes of determining cost-of-living adjustments under titles II, VIII, 

and XVI of the Social Security Act, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Boosting Benefits and 

5 COLAs for Seniors Act’’. 


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•S 3974 IS

1 SEC. 2. MORE ACCURATE COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 215(i)(1)(D) of the 

4 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(1)(D)) is 

5 amended by striking ‘‘Consumer Price Index’’ and 

6 all that follows through ‘‘such index’’ and inserting 

7 ‘‘Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners 

8 and Clerical Workers (CPI–W, as published by the 

9 Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of 

10 Labor) or Consumer Price Index for Elderly Con11 sumers (CPI–E, as published by such Bureau) 

12 (whichever such index results in the higher percent13 age under this subparagraph) exceeds the same such 

14 index’’. 

15 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

16 215(i)(1)(G) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

17 415(i)(1)(G)) is amended by inserting ‘‘applicable 

18 for purposes of subparagraph (D)’’ after ‘‘Consumer 

19 Price Index’’. 

20 (b) APPLICATION TO PRE-1979 LAW.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 215(i) of the Social 

22 Security Act as in effect in December 1978, and as 

23 applied in certain cases under the provisions of such 

24 Act as in effect after December 1978, is amended— 

25 (A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘‘Con26 sumer Price Index’’ and all that follows through 


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•S 3974 IS

1 ‘‘such index’’ and inserting ‘‘Consumer Price 

2 Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical 

3 Workers (CPI–W, as published by the Bureau 

4 of Labor Statistics of the Department of 

5 Labor) or Consumer Price Index for Elderly 

6 Consumers (CPI–E, as published by such Bu7 reau of such Department) (whichever such 

8 index results in the higher per centum under 

9 this subparagraph) exceeds, by not less than 3 

10 per centum, the same such Index’’; and 

11 (B) in paragraph (2)— 

12 (i) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by strik13 ing ‘‘Consumer Price Index for such cost14 of-living computation quarter’’ and insert15 ing ‘‘Consumer Price Index applicable for 

16 such year under paragraph (1)(B)’’; and 

17 (ii) in subparagraph (C)(i), by strik18 ing ‘‘Consumer Price Index as published 

19 for any month exceeds by 2.5 percent or 

20 more the level of such index’’ and inserting 

21 ‘‘Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage 

22 Earners and Clerical Workers or Consumer 

23 Price Index for Elderly Consumers as pub24 lished for any month exceeds by 2.5 per25 cent or more the level of such index’’. 


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1 (2) CONFORMING CHANGES.—Section 215(i)(4) 

2 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(4)) is 

3 amended— 

4 (A) by striking ‘‘and by section 9001’’ and 

5 inserting ‘‘, section 9001’’; and 

6 (B) by inserting ‘‘and section 2 of the 

7 Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act,’’ 

8 after ‘‘1986,’’. 

9 (c) NO EFFECT ON ADJUSTMENTS UNDER OTHER

10 LAWS.—Section 215(i) of the Social Security Act (42 

11 U.S.C. 415(i)) is amended by adding at the end the fol12 lowing: 

13 ‘‘(6) With respect to any provision of law (other than 

14 in this title, title VIII, or title XVI) which provides for 

15 an adjustment of an amount under such provision of law 

16 in the same percentage as a cost-of-living adjustment ap17 plied to benefit amounts under this title, such provision 

18 of law shall be applied and administered as if the percent19 age of such cost-of-living adjustment applied to benefit 

20 amounts under this title were determined without regard 

21 to the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) of 

22 section 2 of the Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors 

23 Act.’’. 

24 (d) PUBLICATION OF CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR

25 ELDERLY CONSUMERS.—The Bureau of Labor Statistics 


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1 of the Department of Labor shall prepare and publish an 

2 index for each calendar month to be known as the ‘‘Con3 sumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers’’ that indicates 

4 changes over time in expenditures for consumption which 

5 are typical for individuals in the United States who have 

6 attained age 62. 

7 (e) TRANSITION RULE.—Prior to the publication of 

8 the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI– 

9 E) pursuant to subsection (d), the reference to such index 

10 made in each of the amendments made by subsections (a) 

11 and (b) shall be deemed to be a reference to the research 

12 price index prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 

13 of the Department of Labor known as the Consumer Price 

14 Index for Americans 62 years of age and older (R–CPI– 

15 E). 

16 (f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

17 this section shall apply to determinations made with re18 spect to cost-of-living computation quarters (as defined in 

19 section 215(i)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

20 415(i)(1)(B))) ending on or after September 30, 2024. 

Æ 


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